On 1 January 2016, Caucasian Knot reported that Khizir Ezhiev, a senior lecturer in economics at Grozny State Oil Technical University, had possibly been kidnapped. Caucasian Knot noted that according to information available on WhatsApp and social networks, Ezhiev had been detained by law enforcement officers on 19 December 2015, since when his whereabouts had been unknown. However, the media outlet reported, “officials of the University and the Ministry of Internal Affairs fail to confirm this information”.

On 3 January 2016 Dozhd reported that the body of Khuizir Ezhiev had been found on 30 December near the village of Roshni in a mountainous and forested area of Urus Martan district, southwest of Grozny. On 2 January, after recovery and identification, the authorities refused to give the body to the relatives because of the need to conduct a post mortem. According to the initial official report, Ezhiev had died as a result of a fall.

In a report on the incident published on 4 January 2016, RFE/RL points out that “unlawful detentions by security forces are a long-standing problem in Chechnya, where activists say Kremlin-backed regional head Ramzan Kadyrov rules through fear and abuse.”

Sources:
'Residents of Chechnya report kidnapping of higher school teacher in Grozny,' Caucasian Knot, 1 January 2016
'В Чечне нашли мертвым похищенного преподавателя грозненского университета,' Dozhd, 3 January 2016
'Missing University Teacher Found Dead In Chechnya,' RFE/RL, 4 January 2016

Photo: Caucasian Knot